Breaking Point
by Rulisu
Summary: There's really only so much one person can take, you know? Only so much being pushed around, laughed at, made a fool of. Sometimes you just.... snap. Everyone has a breaking point.


GAH!  
Inspiration and such!

It strikes at the worst possible time. Like when I'm trying to sleep!

Alright, here we go...

**Warning:** I don't like happy fics. I just don't. It's like a personality defect or some shit. I've been on a bit of a morbidity kick since I saw Dir en Grey perform "Saku" live. That shit was insane and triggered some blood-loving thing in my mind so needless to say, this will not end well.

**Musical Inspiration: **"Hide and seek" - Imogen Heap

**Dedication:** BurningDivinity, ChaosGarden and everyone who has me on their author alert and is reading this. And to whoever reviews. It's not enough to read, I want mah feedback, damnit!

**Disclaimer:** I don't have any rights to Nomura's franchise. If I did...dear god, let's not go there.

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The bright rays of early morning sunshine are enough to put a scowl on even the most morning-ready person's face. Axel was no exception. Though he hadn't been to bed the whole night, the light put enormous strain on his eyes as his pupils contracted to adjust to the difference between the soft blue glow of his lava lamp and the blinding white creeping between the cracks in his curtains.

An alarm went off down the hall and he heard his brother flail his arm around blindly until his fingers wrapped around the offending clock, silencing it. With uttered cursewords that could be heard clearly in the otherwise quiet house, Reno climbed out of bed and stretched with a groan, making his way into the bathroom to begin his morning routine.

Axel stared at the ceiling while he listened to the water rushing through the pipes in the walls when his brother started up the shower. Sighing, he scratched at the scabs marring his forearms. He winced a bit when a sharp fingernail pulled too hard on the healing flesh, pulling at the soft, raw tissue underneath. Through tousled red locks, Axel's eyes scanned the top of his night table. There, he spied his favorite black lighter, gleaming in the sparse light.

There was a slight hiss as skin bonded to the metal, and Axel grinned. According to so many books, this particular act made him crazy. According to him, everything that was fun made someone crazy. Burning yourself was perfectly normal, he'd reasoned. It's not like he did it out of sadness or anger. He did it because his mind sometimes did such a good job of convincing him that he wasn't even real, a reality check was like a breath of fresh air. Besides, it felt good.

Okay, so maybe he was a _little_ crazy...

The reports from his psychologist revealed just how much a 'little' was. He'd been diagnosed with "Anti-social personality disorder" which was just a nice, politically correct way of saying "Full blown, scary as fuck sociopath". He'd also been stamped across the forehead with nasty things like "Moderate Schizophrenia" and "Borderline Personality Disorder". Not that it bothered Axel much. His parents turned a blind eye to the matter, his brother was too wrapped up in his own life to care and he had no friends to worry about hiding from.

Axel's wandering thoughts were interrupted when the shuddering stop of the water in the pipes indicated that Reno was done with his shower. Which meant it was only a matter of moments until....

"AXEL!" Reno's voice boomed through the house, though the younger brother didn't even flinch as his door flew open to reveal a livid Reno clad in naught but jeans, his hair a wet mess around his shoulders.

"You rang?" Axel smirked from his bed of black and red sheets.

"You used up all my hair gel!" Reno shrieked. Axel casually twisted the ends of his spiked hair between his fingers.

"My apologies." he muttered.

"Ass!" Reno snapped. "You owe me a bottle!" and he turned on his heel to stomp down the hallway, leaving Axel's door wide open.

"Hey! Snatchface! Close my door, damn it!"

Riding to school with Reno was Axel's least favorite part of the day. The car was a manual, and Reno had not a damn clue how to drive it, making the shifts sticky and jerky and sent Axel's oatmeal sliding around in his stomach like a boat in the middle of the ocean during a hurricane.

His brother also insisted on listening to the news on the radio, rather than music so he would be ready for "Rufus's" class. Axel wondered as he pushed an earbud into his ear, turning Slipknot on full blast, if he was the only one that found it odd that Reno never referred to his instructor as "Professor ShinRa".

He was still fighting all the sickening reasons that kept forming in his head as to why Reno was getting A's in the class when they pulled in front of the high school.

"Be good." Reno said in a flat tone. Axel replied by slamming the car door.

Axel shuffled across the lush green lawn of the school, head down, hands in pockets. The chatter of the students around him made Axel cringe and clench his jaw but onward he walked. There was a time when other students would make snide comments as he passed. About anything from his haircolor to the way he chose to dress. But over time, when he refused to fall in with the 'emo', 'goth', or 'punk' crowd at the school, it was no longer fun for everyone else to label and make jokes about him, and the jeers ceased.

He stood in his usual spot beside the massive tree, watching people as they filed onto the campus, scratching at his scabs beneath the thin layer of black fabric covering his arms. The cold pressed in on Axel and he shivered, the tips of his spikes shaking slightly. He shifted against the tree, careful not to put much pressure against his backpack and the gleaming, ebony item within it.

A group of three twittering girls passed. Two blonds and a redhead, though the latter girl's hair could never compare to Axel's. He didn't like any of them. One of the blonds was a bitch, the other was a know it all and the auburn chick was like a rock, only dumber and had about as much personality. Once or twice, they'd made a joke or rude comment about him. And oh yeah....they were definitely on the list.

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I really, REALLY should be working on my other fics but that plot bunny.... it'll be the death of me, I swear it!

Anyway.  
Axel is insane. Again.

Feedback, onegai?


End file.
